My friend Lee was a very funny man. If you or your children ever had a bathtub with fixtures in the shape of Disney characters, you have seen some of Lee’s handiwork. Lee also single-handedly brought back some of the most interesting Americana kitsch including the barbecue apron with the, shall we say, pop-up surprise inside. p;

Lee also holds the land speed record for driving a Mercedes-Benz from New Jersey to South Florida, in oh, I don’t know, about an hour and a half. I was living in North Carolina at the time partners in a video production business with his daughter, Nancy when Lee would memorably visit her and his son Mark who lived an hour away, without ever as much as idling the motor.

I caught up with Lee again a few years later as he cared for his wife, who was living with Alzheimer’s disease. He single handedly took on the challenge of keeping her spirits up as the disease encompassed their lives. A few years later, when Nancy joined us as Managing Editor of
Today’s Caregiver magazine, I got to see Lee more than ever. He would always invite me for their family lunches when visiting South Florida, always entertaining, but never allowing Nancy or I pick up the check. Earlier this year, Lee developed stomach cancer and passed away within months, working hard to keep his family’s spirits up and trying “not to be a burden”.

As in every other aspect of his life, Lee left this earth on his own time schedule, all the while endeavoring to keep his family laughing. This is why I am honored to announce
Today’s Caregiver Magazine’s
Lee Sosower Spirit Award presented for the winning essay, which details an episode in which a family caregiver sees humor where others only see sadness. Through sharing your stories, I know we will be able to keep Lee’s spirit alive forever in the way he knew best, through smiles.